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GIBBONS G. HIGKMAN, OF GOATESVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOIt TO 'HIMSELF, FRANCIS H. WRIGHT, AND JOHN ORISWELL.

Letters Patent Nc- 69,341, dated October I, 1867.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, GIBBoNS Gr. HIGKMAN, of Coatesville, in the county of Chester, and State ofv Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Device for Preventing Horses from Cribbing; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to cure the deleterious habit of horses commonly known as cribbing, which may be defined as the act of sucking in air, and which is practised to such an extent by some animals as to super-induce colic, and seriously impair the physical condition of the horse.

The invention consists of a novel device, which is applied to the inside of the throat-latch, and serves to prick the throat of the horse as often as the throat is expanded in the act ofv cribbing, the consequent pain being inflicted as a means of preventing the habit. 7'

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device as applied to the throat-latch.

Figures 2 and 3 are vertical transverse sections of the device, the red lines indicating the longitudinal outline of the horses throat in its natural and expanded condition respectively.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modification of my device.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

'In the drawings, A is a tube of soft rubber enclosing a prong, B, of iron or other material. The stem or continuation 5 of the prong B projects downward through the tube A and check-strap C, and is held in position by means of the shoulder b and nut D, the latter being fitted to the threaded extremity of I). So long as the animals neck maintains its natural shape-that is to say, when he is not indulging in the habit of cribbingthe tube A rests in the external cavity of the throat, and has adequate room to expand to its fullextent, so as to enclose or guard the point of the prong B and prevent the same from reaching the horses neck. When, however, the neck of the horse is expanded in the act of cribbing, as shown in fig. 3, the tube A is compressed and the prong B, being projected through the aperture'a, pricks the neck of the horse. The contrivance has been found to effectually curethe hurtful habit. In fig. 4 I have shown a modification in which the soft rubber A is spherical instead of tubular. This fornrmay be preferable in some respects. It may also be found desirable to attach the tube A to a metallic plate or strip to enable its more secure attachment to the check-strap, and under this-construction a plurality of prongs might be employed. No motion except that of the muscular action of cribbing, above referred to, will cause the prong to penetrate, and the rubber part A, while it affords an effectual shield for the prong, is not liable to. chafe or abrade the neck of the horse.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what-I'claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent The combination of the rubber part or shield A with the prong B, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

To the above specification of mydevice for preventing horses from cribbing I have signed my hand this twenty-sixth day of July, A. D. 1867.

G. G. HIOKMAN.

Witnesses:

Guns. D. SMITH, J. E. M. Bownu. 

